Hello all!

I am so happy that I ran across this site! This is my first post.  I am *hoping* for suggestions from all of you in any ways that helped financially. I am on the brink of having to go back to work after being home and would prefer to stay home a little longer to take care of the children.  Any tips that helped you in any way would be great.  One way I have found I can cut back is on food. But, that usually results us in having maybe other things we need......but lacking in groceries.....if you know what I mean.

Thanks for the tips!

Welcome to the community!

The boards are full of tips on living on less and doing things frugally. It can get overwhelming and time consuming to wade through it all though.

The Dollar Stretcher site has a whole section on living on one income.

Check it out!

Welcome! I echo Brandy's advice. Read, read, read.... there are many tips and ideas to help you, both here and on the Dollar Stretcher site.

The best thing I know to do is to go over your budget with a fine-toothed comb. For utilities, can you cut cable, landline, cell phone packages, or bundle the services you do have to get a better rate? Even if you think you are at the bare-bones minimum on utitilities, call to ask about better plans. Let the service representative know that with your non-necessity types of utilities (like cable TV/landlines/movie rental clubs) that you will have to consider cancelling their service if they can't get you a cheaper rate. It's amazing how helpful they can be if they think they will lose you as a customer.

Before I got rid of my landline, I called my phone company to let them know money was getting tight. I asked if there were any cheaper plans I could consider. I found one that saved me $50 a month. I had been told when I first established service that I was on the cheapest plan available. After a few months, I still got rid of the landline, but it's funny how a "cheaper" plan was available when I told them I was going to have to cancel my service.

For family haircuts, can you do it yourself? Or go to a beauty school to get them done? Often beauty schools will offer very reasonable haircuts, and they are only done by students who are near graduation. They are still supervised by an instructor. If there are dental schools in your area, consider going there to get your dental needs taken care of.

If you have the cash reserves, consider raising your deductibles on home/auto insurance. Going from a $500 to a $1000 collision deductible has saved us money. We opted to keep a $100 comprehensive deductible, though.

Go over every line item of your budget like this, and think creatively about how you can get the amounts cheaper or free. If you are out of ideas, just ask us! We have lots of great black-belt budget gurus that can help.

Welcome and enjoy reading the many articles in the library index.

 Welcome!  

Some quick tips: 

Dilute shampoos, conditioners with 2 or 3 times the amount of water. They are more effective this way anyhow.

Use half as much of laundry detergent as you normally do. 

Make your own cleaners using vinegar, baking soda and dish soap. Lots of recipes around for doing that.

Gather a bunch of rags and wash cloths and use them in place of paper towels, napkins and for cleaning.  All cotton t-shirts are great for this.

If you don't know how to sew, now would be a good time to learn, both hand sewing and machine sewing.  If you don't have a sewing machine, an older well maintained sewing machine found at a yard sale for a few dollars will serve you better than a new expensive plastic machine from Wal-mart or elsewhere. Check that the wires are intact and the motor works. Don't buy anything with bare wires unless you feel confident in replacing the wiring, motor and foot controller. Better yet, look for an old treadle that works and clean it up for the use and for fun. You can't get much "greener" than that. 

Learning to sew even basics will help with repairs on clothes and other household goods, so they don't have to be replaced as often. You can repair torn hems, raveled towels or wash cloths, or replace worn elastic in items. 

You can sew your own vegetable bags of fabric, make gift bags, or gifts themselves using recycled fabric found in ready made clothing. 

Those are a few ideas to help cut down on spending money. 

Edey